Friday in DC: New Vets Come Together at Nationals Game

WHAT: As part of the Convoy to Combat Suicide, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), post-9/11 veterans, military families, Washington VIPs and members of the media will come together on Friday, August 15, 2014 at 4:30 pm at Nationals Park to watch the Washington Nationals play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The game begins at 7:05 pm.

Sponsored by Miller High Life, the annual Nationals Game is IAVA’s biggest event of the year in Washington with food, music and free tickets to IAVA members and their families.

Washington veterans face a number of critical challenges. In DC, as well as across the country, suicide is a top concern for new veterans: at least 22 veterans die by suicide each day. In IAVA’s 2014 Member Survey, 40 percent of respondents said they knew a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan who has died by suicide.

More than 260,000 veterans are stuck in the VA backlog, including more than 6,200 in the Baltimore regional office, who are waiting more than 125 days for a claim. The average wait time in Baltimore is 210.9 days. In addition, post-9/11 veterans in DC face a 13.0 percent unemployment rate.

"Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America...remains the most important organization representing the new generation of veterans." - TIME Magazine

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the premier veterans advocacy and support organization on the planet. Founded by an Iraq veteran in 2004, IAVA is the non-partisan leader in advocacy, public awareness, and 1-on-1 case management support. Our mission is to connect, unite, and empower over 425,000 veterans and allies nationwide. We have connected more than 1.2 million veterans with resources and community, and provided thousands of veterans of all generations with life-saving and life-changing personalized support from our Masters-level social service professionals.